Exodus Chapter 3 Summary
Moses called as deliverer. The burning bush.
Discussion Questions for Exodus, Chapter 3
- In Exodus 3:2, Moses sees the bush on fire, but the fire does not consume it. This event goes against scientific laws. How do you explain the events that take place? Did these events really take place, or are they fiction? Explain your answer.
- God told Moses to take his sandals off in Exodus 3:5 because Moses was standing on holy ground. What made the ground holy? How should God's direction to Moses affect the way we approach God?
- God tells Moses He was the God of his father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Exodus 3:6. Moses responds by hiding his face. The only actions that Moses and the children of Israel had seen were 400 years of captivity in Egypt. What does Moses's response tell you about the teaching of God being passed down? What teachings of God would you pass down to the next generation?
- The Lord admits that He knows the sufferings of His people in Egypt in Exodus 3:7, and He has come down to deliver them. Why has God waited so long to deliver His people? What do you think is accomplished by this?
- Exodus 3:7, the Lord says, "I have come down to deliver my people." Later, He tells Moses to go lead the people out of Egypt. Who has the power to do ministry, and what is the role of human beings in the work of God? What would have happened to the Lord's work if Moses had said no?
- Moses asks God in Exodus 3:11, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh?" This shows that Moses remembers the response of the Hebrew who questioned him when Moses tried to correct him while he still lived in Egypt. How has Moses's sin crippled him in doing the ministry of God? How do the sins of your past hinder you from doing God's ministry? How can you begin to move past the sins and start to minister?
- Beginning in Exodus 3:13, Moses begins to ask God who he should say has sent him. God responds, "I AM." This is not really a name but a state of being. What is your immediate response to hearing God's response? What type of comfort do you find in the name God gives Himself?
- God has Moses and the elders go to Pharaoh to demand the release of the children of Israel. In Exodus 3:19, God says that Pharaoh will not allow them to leave without a move of God's mighty hand. Why doesn't God choose to perform the mighty act first? Does God do all the mighty things just to stir Pharaoh's heart, or does He also move the hearts of others? Why?
- God does not only tell Moses that He will deliver the children of Israel, but also that the Egyptians will give them riches as they leave. As Moses is speaking to God in the burning bush, how much faith does Moses have in God's statements? Why would he have any doubt?
- How has God met you in your times of affliction? Was it timely, or did you have to wait? In Exodus 3:15, God says that He will be remembered throughout the generations. How are you going to ensure that God's actions toward you will be remembered throughout the generations?
Key Words/Phrase
Deliverance, vv. 8, 10.
Characters
Jethro, Moses, angel.
Strong Verse(s)
7, 12, 14.
